


The Wells' Introduction to Barry Allen

by YancyPants



Series: Papa Wells and the Science Kids [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-01 17:50:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6529996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YancyPants/pseuds/YancyPants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Wells, West, and Allen families share a common thread of tragedy and loss. Hapless Barry Allen is caught right in the middle with the death of his parents and the threat of being taken away from his foster family of Iris and Joe West. Harrison Wells and his children, Caitlin and Cisco, are pulled into the fray when Dr. Wells is contacted by Central City Adoption with the offer to adopt Barry Allen, an offer that causes a bit of an upheaval for West, Wells and Allen alike.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fair Chance

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing was inspired by my friend alovelypairofscissors on tumblr. She wanted an AU in which Harrison Wells is the adoptive father of Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco. Instead of writing a few quick drabbles based on that premise I, like I always do, wrote a backstory piece to collect my thoughts on the verse. Suffice it to say I went a little overboard and wound up writing this entire story. I'm going to turn this into a series with the next fic being far more light and fluffy than this one wound up being. For now it's general on the pairings front but I plan work out parings later.

“Thank you, Gideon. That will be all for today,” Dr. Harrison Wells says to his lab assistant and secretary as she helps him out of the van. His wheelchair hits the ground with a light thud that jostles him to the left then right before he can stabilize himself. He makes a mental note to fix the angle of the ramp later. 

“Should I come to pick you up after the exhibition, Dr. Wells?” 

Harrison shakes his head and smiles. “No we'll take the scenic route home. The children will probably need some fresh air after today.”

“Of course. Have a good time, Dr. Wells,” Gideon tells him before getting back into the van and heading off in the direction of the Wells residence.

Harrison sighs as the van rolls away leaving him in front of Carmichael Elementary where inside his children, Caitlin and Cisco, are presenting their stations for the Carmichael Elementary Science Exhibition; a glorified science fair for fifth to ninth graders in the district. Hosted by Carmichael because they have the largest gymnasium of all the schools involved.

Harrison pinches the bridge of his nose under his glasses and mentally steels himself for what he's about to experience. Science fairs are an interesting exercise in patience for Dr. Wells simply because not only are they tedious and self-congratulatory affairs, they're usually filled to capacity with parents and children along with other onlookers thus making it impossible for him to maneuver comfortably around the room in his wheelchair without crunching a few toes in the attempt.  But he supposes they're a necessary evil as he makes his way to the entrance of the school. Just about two years ago when he had first moved to Central City he had been invited to attend and observe, mainly as a courtesy and acknowledgement of his status in the scientific community. And he always said no. Until his children were asked to participate in the whole jamboree. Now it's more of an obligation to attend and see the projects that they've stubbornly kept hidden from him. An obligation he's happy to fulfill if only to see his children smile when he enters the room and looks over their respective displays.

The security guard buzzes him into the building and escorts him to the elevator since the gym turned exhibit room is on the bottom floor of the school and the lack of wheelchair access from the outside means Harrison has to go through the process of checking in upstairs first in order to obtain an elevator key. He thanks the guard as he situates himself in the elevator to head down to the event.

It's 12:37 in the afternoon when he finally makes it into the fair which means he's just about twenty minutes late, give or take a couple of minutes. The gym is packed full of projects and observers so Harrison's late arrival goes unnoticed by almost everyone in the room.

“You made it!”

Except for Caitlin. 

Harrison turns in the direction of her voice and sees her emerge from behind a table near the entrance to the gym containing her project. He smiles and makes his way over to meet her halfway.

“Of course I made it, Caitlin. I wouldn't miss this for the world,” he tells her. She bends forward to hug him with a grin on her face.

“What about missing it for the chance to enter a controlling partnership with Mercury Labs?”

Harrison takes pause as Caitlin pulls out of the hug and crosses her arms across her chest to look at him. He grimaces slightly. 

“Gideon told you.”

“Only because Cisco called her every three minutes after the fair started to ask where you were.” She chuckles and looks at the blush that appears on her father's face. “So? Did you get the deal?”

A rough breath of air escapes Harrison. He looks away and runs a hand through his hair then shakes his head, his hand still situated behind him. “Tina McGee is hellbent on making sure that she blocks me and my progress at every opportunity even if it means setting herself back.”

Caitlin hums in understanding then poses the question “What about Stagg Industries?”

“It was a joke!” she amends when Harrison shifts his gaze back to her and glares through squinted eyelids. She raises her hands in mock surrender when he continues to glare at her. After a pseudo stalemate between the two Harrison moves his chair closer to his daughter's display and stares for a while before asking her to explain.

Before Harrison can even blink, Caitlin is off on a rapid fire explanation of her project describing the ins and outs of her chosen topic, how well people utilize their senses aside from sight, as well as explaining the potential benefits of extended research into her project. It's all very involved and full of interactive stations to illustrate her point.

Through it all Harrison listens and asks challenging questions giving her a chance to show just how much work she's put into her exhibit knowing that most people will smile and nod simply because there are so many projects to see and not enough time. Caitlin deserves the attention and the chance to show off. 

“Well done, Caitlin. Very well done. I am impressed.” 

Caitlin tries to hide the smile that pulls on her face. She's not one to readily accept praise but she knows that Harrison isn't too keen on throwing compliments around even to his children so she can't help the beginnings of pride that well up inside her. 

“Now tell me honestly,” Harrison says to grab Caitlin’s attention again. “Am I going to be as impressed with Cisco's project?”

“Well…” she says slowly, wringing her hands as she tries to find the best way to explain. “It's definitely something Cisco would do.”

“Meaning?” Harrison rolls his hand to punctuate his point.

“Meaning I think you'll just have to see it before passing judgement.”

Harrison nods and looks around the room to see if there is any indication of where Cisco might be. Caitlin hands him a diagram of where all the projects are stationed to put him out if his misery. She's not supposed to since the diagram was for her but she doesn't need it and the setup of the room is convoluted.

“Is there any particular reason as to why Cisco has the biggest display area...with a crash mat?” Harrison asks as he looks over the notes on the diagram. Cisco is stationed in the back left corner of the room with two tables and a crash mat near his set up. Which is more than a little concerning to Dr. Wells. 

Caitlin winces into a grimace and looks at the watch on her wrist before she starts counting down from five on her fingers. Harrison's brow creases as she reaches three and points to the general area of Cisco and his project. She hits one and hunches her shoulders.

A holler of unbridled joy erupts in the room accompanied by a bang that startles Harrison enough to make him jerk backward into the support of his chair. He runs through all the possible things Cisco could have created that would be within regulation of a school science project as he spurs his chair into motion toward the direction of his son.

There's a fair amount of indistinct chatter surrounding Cisco and his display that Dr. Wells can't quite make out, even as he gets closer. He does manage to infer that something shattered into pieces though. Perhaps the crash mat wasn't placed properly. 

Cisco emerges from the crowd with a massive grin on his face that speaks of complete success. He's nearly vibrating in excitement when he steps around the throng of observers to find a garbage can. As he rounds the corner of the crowd he spots Dr. Wells and his grin grows even more, enough to make Harrison's face hurt in sympathy.

“You're here!” Cisco charges at his father and pulls him into a hug from behind the back support of his wheelchair. “I thought you were gonna be in that meeting forever and you were gonna miss this.”

Harrison pats Cisco's arms, letting the boy hug him despite his own discomfort at the pressure he's under. Cisco tends to be a bit more tactile than Caitlin and unaware of just how much force he exerts through his hugs at any given time. Endearing but painful.

A few pieces of whatever Cisco is holding fall into Harrison's lap. He looks down at the disturbance to see what looks like a red plastic propeller that's been bent in a few places. He picks it up and turns it over in his hands while he waits for Cisco to release him.

“Well now that I'm here would you like to tell what exactly _this_ is?” he says gesturing to both the propeller in his hand and the crowd of people in front of them. 

“Oh yeah! It’s my project,” Cisco chirps and pulls his arms from around the chair and Dr. Wells. He scrambles over to the trash, snatching the broken propeller along the way and throws everything in his hands into the can then spins back toward his father almost falling over in the process. 

“Careful, Cisco,” Harrison chides. Cisco simply shakes it off and grabs the truncated handles on the back of the wheelchair to push his father through the mass of people that have yet to move. He makes a beeping noise to get their attention so that he doesn't crash into too many of them. Harrison grips the armrests hard enough to turn his knuckles white and possibly hard enough to leave dents in the supports.

“Tada!” 

In front of Harrison is a scene that only Cisco could create. There are two folding tables placed parallel to each other lengthwise, with their short ends facing the back wall of the gymnasium. In front of them lies the crash mat that is currently covered in more destruction including batteries, magnets, and couple more propellers. Harrison can't figure out the rest. He takes another moment to look at the tables where he sees miniature train tracks running the length on both tables. Tracks made specifically to conduct electricity. There are two other children no older than eight and ten respectively standing at the end of the tracks with smiles on their faces.

“Behold the Maglev Arena,” Cisco calls out after scrambling onto the crash mat to collect whatever is left of what crashed there. The gaggle of people surrounding the ‘arena’ clap prompting Cisco to bow with the flourish of his hand in front of him toward his waist.  It takes all of his self control for Harrison to not roll his eyes. Instead, he waits for Cisco to finish cleaning up his mess before asking what the Maglev Arena actually happens to be.

“I'm glad you asked, my good sir,” Cisco says putting on the best distinguished gentleman voice he can which makes him sound farcical at best. He calls for another volunteer who readily takes position behind the table closest to the wall. Cisco then instructs his father to take up the space behind the other table. With both participants situated Cisco begins his presentation. Like Caitlin, Cisco's project is fairly involved utilizing a good number of technical terms that fly over a lot of heads in the crowd but the point gets across.

Race the maglev train models. First one to hit the wall wins.

Harrison chuckles to himself. Caitlin was right. Definitely something Cisco would do. 

The participants, Dr. Wells and the young girl at the table to his right, take their chosen trains from Cisco and place them on the track. They hold them in place so that they don't drift forward before Cisco gives the go ahead to turn on the engines and send them down the track.

“On your marks...get set...go!” 

Both Dr. Wells and the child next to him push the buttons that energize the train tracks initiating motion in the maglev models. The models rocket forward with sparks flying from their contact points with the metal of the tracks. It takes a little over three seconds for Harrison's chosen train to fly from the table and into the wall. The force of the impact causes the train to break apart as the next train comes soaring after it to follow the same fate. 

There's something satisfying about being part of simple destruction like this. A sort of rush that isn't necessarily adrenaline but certainly comparable in feeling. 

Cisco smiles and bites his bottom lip at the same time. He looks at Harrison with a gleam in his eyes as he nods his head slowly. A silent gesture meant to coax his father into stating an opinion, a favorable one preferably. 

Harrison looks up to the left and deflates into a silent laughter. He holds his right hand up in an open invitation for Cisco to give him a high five who dutifully charges forward and smacks the hand presented to him with enough zeal to leave both hands involved bright red from the contact.

Eventually Harrison is able to pull away from Cisco's project and take a breather at the edge of the room. By himself. 

So it's understandable that he's a little startled when someone comes to tap him on the shoulder.

“You're Dr. Harrison Wells, right?”

There's a young girl standing on front of him, the one from Cisco's earlier presentation. She looks to be just about Cisco's age, eleven maybe twelve. 

Shifting a bit in his seat, Harrison pushes his glasses up on his face and answers her question with an affirmative. 

“Awesome,” she says and thrusts her right hand forward for him to shake. Which he does, albeit hesitantly. “I'm Iris West.”

West. The name sounds familiar but at the moment he can't place it so he leaves it for later and tunes back in to what she's telling him.

“...friend is a huge fan of yours, like crazy huge fan, and I'm pretty sure it would make his day if you’d go look at his project. It's really complicated and he worked super hard on it but no one's looking at it. He could use a good pick-me-up.”  Iris West certainly isn't one who lacks for tenacity.

Or gumption Wells notes as she leads him toward her friend’s station at the fair. And it is a lonely sight indeed; the boy sitting in his chair, his face in his hands and his expression blank as he watches people saunter past him without a second glance. 

“Barry! I've got a surprise for you!” Iris calls out when they get closer. The boy, Barry, jerks forward in his seat causing his display to rattle as he rights himself. He quickly sets out to fix his project decidedly not looking up at the people approaching him. “Barry stop fiddling with that and look up for a minute,” Iris huffs. She and Dr. Wells are now positioned directly in front of Barry's table, close enough for Dr. Wells to see that Barry is shaking like a leaf.

“Sorry I just thought nobody was going to come over here and…” Barry trails off as he looks up to see who is at his station. Harrison can almost see the boy's heartbeat in his neck as his eyes widen in recognition of the man in front of him.  “You're Harrison Wells.”

Barry must have a strong heart given the fact that the face he pulls seems like a good indicator of someone about to faint yet he manages to stay on his feet and not rattle his table of equipment any further. His eyes go blank for a moment though which has Harrison worried. The same cannot be said for Iris who rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. The very picture of exasperation. 

“Now isn't the time to short circuit, Barry,” Iris states and walks over to her friend to give him a solid poke to the shoulder. Barry blinks a few times in rapid succession before nodding and forcing a smile onto his face, mostly for Iris’s benefit.

There's another bang in Cisco's corner of the room that snaps everyone back to attention. Iris gives Barry a pat on the back before leaving him to his own devices. 

“Try not to faint Barry,” she says and waves goodbye to both Barry and Dr. Wells. They wave her off even as she turns her back to them to skip off back to Cisco's arena. 

Harrison crosses his hands in his lap and turns his head back to look at Barry who is still staring after his friend. There's a strange mixture of gratitude and betrayal in his eyes as she walks further out of sight. A solid minute of silence goes by before Harrison starts to feel just a little uncomfortable. So he prompts conversation.

“Why don't you tell me what your project is about, Mr. Allen?”

Barry snaps his head to Dr. Wells. His chest heaves up and down in panic. 

“How do you know my name?”

Harrison raises his brows and points with his left hand to the tri-fold poster on the table that has all of Barry's findings and data on it, but most importantly his name, first and last, printed in solid red block letter with a yellow shadow, the same color scheme as his shirt.

“Oh right, yeah.” Barry runs his hands over his ears and links his fingers behind him at the base of his neck. He doesn't say anything so Harrison helps him along.

“Molecular Energy, Potential and Kinetic.” 

Apparently reading the title of his project shocked Barry into action because within seconds he starts talking with no hint of nerves or hesitation. And Harrison has to admit the kid knows his stuff. There's an obvious passion in his demeanor as he addresses every point of his data analysis. He walks Dr. Wells through his hypothesis and test procedure dropping in tidbits of advanced knowledge along the way.

As the explanation continues something becomes clear to Harrison. Every time Barry stops himself from delving into why he used specific food coloring to show the difference in molecular motion of water warmed to different temperatures. There's more that Barry wants to say but he keeps cutting himself off and while that doesn't detract from the overall complexity of his work it does tell Harrison enough of what he needs to know about Barry Allen. 

“You're holding yourself back, Mr. Allen,” Harrison cuts in before Barry can explain his findings in reference to the conclusory aspect of his experiment.

“Huh?”

“Either that or your teacher is holding you back,” Harrison amends as he thinks about Barry's apparent age and subsequent grade level; eleven and sixth respectively if he were to hazard a guess. “So which is it?” 

Barry hesitates for a moment before sighing and stating “My teacher said my project was getting too complicated so she said I should scale it back a little, Dr. Wells,” with the final address used as more of a confirmation to himself that _the_ Harrison Wells is asking him about his science fair experiment.

Harrison nods into his steepled fingers allowing them to cover his mouth as he thinks. His eyes roam over the display of beakers filled with water of different colors in curiosity.

“What was you original plan?” He gestures to the labeled beakers in front of him. “Before you had to scale back?”

Barry must be in heaven. Harrison Wells wants to hear what he has to say about a science fair project. He reminds himself to thank Iris later and realizes that he'd better not disappoint the man in front of him.

And he undoubtedly doesn't. Harrison watches him pull a binder at least an inch thick from under the table with the excitement of a child during the holiday season. It's filled cover to cover with papers full of pictures and ideas that are impressive for their volume alone, even more so when Barry rolls through his explanation of them. 

The truth is Harrison wouldn't call the work genius level, advanced but not genius. That isn't what he's interested in. The fervor that Barry has for what he does is the principal instigator of Harrison's awe for the young man. He hasn't seen that kind of passion and determination in a good while despite his being at the forefront of scientific advancement. 

“So you wanted to use different solutions and take them to their boiling points to see which ones could generate the most energy in the quickest amount of time.”

“Exactly! But my teacher said I should keep it simple and stick with water and explaining molecular energy instead.” 

Harrison admires the lack of animosity in Barry's voice. Had anyone put that sort of limitation on anything he wanted to accomplish he can't say he would react so favorably. Barry though.

“I'd say you still managed to provide a brilliant project. Solid scientific method, testable question, hypothesis, experiment, and analysis despite your limitations. Very well done Mr. Allen, very well done.”

If he wasn't so flabbergasted Barry would beam with pride but instead he stutters out a thank you and blushes a near scarlet. 

A casual “Your parents must be very proud,” slides out of Harrison’s mouth and Barry stops cold. The color drains from his face and leaves him pale. The sudden shift concerns Harrison but when he asks Barry if he is okay he gets no response.

_Lightning crashes as the thunderstorm rages outside. Tree branches scrape against the window in tandem with the raindrops that pound against the glass. _

_ He's trembling in his bed while the sounds from downstairs get worse. There's something wrong but he's not quite sure what it is. Glass crashes on the floor and his mother screams, a sound Barry's never heard before. His mother is usually calm, even tempered, docile. Something has to be wrong. _

_ Another flash of lightning, a crash of thunder and Barry jumps out of his bed. The covers beg him to stay under them, to stay safe. He doesn't listen. His feet untangle from the covers and hit the floor before he has the thought for them to do so. In his haste to leave the room he bumps into his fish tank. It tips spilling water and fish all over the floor. Barry doesn't notice.  _

_ He's downstairs when his mother screams again. At him. _

_ “Get out!”  _

_ Barry doesn't know what to do. Glass shatters somewhere nearby.  _

_ “Barry Run!” _

_ He looks at the door then looks back at his mother. She's in someone's grip. He can't see the face but they have their arms around his mother! _

_ Barry charges forward only to be stopped by his father pulling him into an embrace. Henry Allen pulls his son away from his mother. Barry struggles to break free. To save his mom. To do anything but run away! _

_ “We have to help her! We have to help Mom! We have to help!” He dissolves into sobs when his father sets him down outside of the house. Asphalt meets his bare feet, cold, wet, unforgiving .  _

_ “Stay here. I'll be back for you.” _

_Barry is frozen. His father disappears into the distance between them and the house. _

_ Beams of light tear through the sky just above his home. Thunder drowns out the screams that roll through his skull. Barry waits.  _

_ His father doesn't come back. The police tell him why. _

_ “We're sorry,” one says, his eyes darting from Barry to anywhere else his eyes could possibly roam. “You're parents aren't coming back.” _

_ Not coming back?  _

_ “They're dead, son,” another officer says. It's Joe. Iris’s father. The man who doesn't mince words.  _

_ “Barry,” Joe says grabbing his shoulder. He shakes Barry a bit before he pulls him to a hug and picks him up from the ground. _

_ “Barry!” Joe yells as the boy slides out of his grasp and sprints back to his house. He doesn't make it before Joe grabs him again. He can't form words, the tears are coming too fast, too hard. Coupled with the rain the water it’s choking him.  _

_ “It's gonna be alright, Barry. You're gonna be okay,” Joe tells him.  _

_ “...okay Barry?” _

_ _ No he's far from okay. _ _

_ _ “Barry!” _ _

_ _ It doesn't sound like _Joe anymore. Nora Allen is screaming his name telling him to run. To get away._ _ _

Another voice yells his name again, frantic and unfamiliar, but just as desperate as his mother.

“Barry!” Harrison yells once again for the sixth time growing more distressed with every attempt to get his attention back. Thankfully,Barry snaps out of his daze but he's back and Harrison nearly sags into his chair in relief. 

“Are you alright?” 

Barry's chest heaves. He shakes his head. “My parents...they died almost a year ago,” he whispers.

Oh dear. Harrison isn't exactly sure of how to proceed with such sensitive subject matter. But as the silence between the two of them starts to grow he takes a chance at fixing the situation. 

“Then I'll amend my earlier statement,” he says slowly. Barry looks up at him as he continues. “Your parents would be just as proud of you as I am. If not more so than I.” 

‘Don't cry, don't faint’ becomes Barry's internal mantra. It hurts to think about his parents, even after the time has passed but the sting is dulled by the presence of his personal hero being proud of him. No he can't have his parents back but he can have this moment. This small instance of contentment amidst all the pain. 

“Thank you, Dr. Wells.” Hesitation tinges his voice but he doesn't avoid eye contact. Harrison has to admire his sincerity. 

“Of course, Mr. Allen. I must apologize for bringing up something so painful.” There's a shade of understanding as he talks to Barry. Neither know but they are rather similar in some regard. 

“It's fine, Dr. Wells.”

Footsteps interrupt Harrison before he can protest. A voice joins them in their conversation.

“Dr. Wells huh? Isn't that the guy you're always talking about, the scientist or something?”

“Or something,” Harrison cuts in saving Barry, who's blushing almost crimson now, from having to reply to the man standing to left of him.

Harrison puts out his hand for the man to shake. “Dr. Harrison Wells,” he introduces himself with a smile and an open palm.

“Detective Joe West.”

Ah. That's why the name Iris gave as her last sounded familiar. Detective West. Very popular man around Central City. They had spoken once before, briefly, while West was on case and had a hunch that led him to Harrison. It wound up being a dead end. They never got the chance to follow up, not that either of them had any desire to. They hadn't gotten along too well the first time around. No need for a repeat performance.

“Not to sound rude but what’s a guy like you doing at a school science fair?”

Harrison scoffs through his nose and smiles with just the right side of his face as he replies. “My children were asked to participate in the fair, thought I'd come by and show my support.” He finishes with a trademark uptick of his eyes brows and casual shrug of his shoulders in his black turtleneck with his hands still clasped together in his lap having put them there after greeting Joe.

Joe nods like he actually cares when it's clear he's really thinking Harrison doesn't seem the type of man to visit a school science fair, even for the sake of his children. Rather presumptuous of him. 

“Um, what are you doing here, Joe?” Barry asks Joe when the staring match gets to be uncomfortable.

“I came to see you, Barry. I said I'd be here for you.”

“And I said you didn't have to come,” Barry tells the man quietly. The tension between them is palpable enough to make Harrison feel ill-at-ease. So he takes it upon himself to leave the conversation. 

“Congratulations again Mr. Allen on a wonderful project, absolutely outstanding.”

“He's no Einstein,” Joe cuts making his way behind the table to wrap an arm around Barry's shoulder and jostle him a bit against his side. He smirks and finishes his statement. “But he'll do in a pinch.” 

Harrison looks at Barry for a moment before smiling. “Oh I disagree. Einstein was only a genius by sheer determination. Something Mr. Allen here seems to posses in abundance,” Harrison says with a nod to Barry. “I'll be keeping an eye out for your name in the science world, Mr. Allen.” 

He moves off and misses the glare that Joe sends his way. Barry on the other hand climbs up the ladder to sit on cloud nine for a few hours. Or days. He'll need the time to process what exactly happened to him.

A bell rings signifying the end of the fair allowing the students to break down their displays and head home. Cisco, surprisingly given the scope of his presentation, is done the fastest. He packs up everything he wants to keep into a duffleand lets the security guard handle folding the tables and replacing the crash mat. Caitlin isn't too far behind placing her supplies into the suitcase she brought specifically for her things. 

The gym looks bare and far more spacious as displays are taken down left and right. Parents file in and scope out the room in search of their children. Others leave without their parents while some stay behind to spend the rest of the day with friends. 

Barry Allen is one of the few that leaves as soon as he's done taking apart his project, walking out beside Joe and Iris both as they chatter away about everything and nothing at all. 

Harrison can't stop himself from giving Barry a parting wave as the three of them walk by. And it's worth it to see Barry blush and wave back as timidly as anyone could ever manage.

“Who was that?” Caitlin asks. She stands beside Harrison with her suitcase at her right on the floor with the handle extended for better maneuverability. 

“Barry Allen,” he says emphasizing each name clearly. “He's a fan of my work, apparently,” he adds as casually as he can manage given the circumstances.  

“Whoa that must've been weird,” Cisco chimes in grinning. “Having a kid other than yours know who you are, I mean. He must be pretty smart, or boring,” he says and rocks back on his heels as he completes the thought. As an afterthought he looks to his father, winks and clicks his tongue.

“Funny, Cisco.” 

“Oh he’s an absolute riot,” Caitlin says in response, with her hands on her hips and left eyebrow raised to match Harrison's own.

-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-

The Wells family is on their way to Big Belly Burger, the children walking on either side of Harrison’s wheelchair, Caitlin to the street and Cisco on the inner sidewalk, when Caitlin starts asking questions about Barry Allen.

“I just can’t believe the coincidences that happen. I mean this is your first time actually attending the Carmichael Science Exhibition and you meet the one kid in Central City that just so happens to be your fan! How crazy is that?”

“Kinda freaky if you ask me,” Cisco says. Harrison doesn’t agree.

“Coincidences happen, maybe not in science but life is hardly predictable enough to rule them out entirely.” Harrison pauses here for a moment and smiles. “He’s a smart kid though with a bright future ahead of him if he keeps up at the pace he’s going.”

“Are you saying that because he’s actually smart or because he stroked your ego by adoring you?” Caitlin fixes her father with a knowing gaze that makes him scratch the back of his head to avoid answering immediately.

“He is genuinely smart,” Harrison finally says and means it, though Caitlin appears to be skeptical of that. 

And that’s the last time they bring up Barry Allen.

Until Gideon informs Harrison he has a call waiting from the Central City Adoption agency. Which is strange because he hasn’t made any inquiries into adopting for quite some time. Almost a year to be specific.

“Are you certain they have the right number?” 

Gideon smiles pleasantly. “Absolutely, Dr. Wells. They’ve asked for you by name.”

So he picks up the call. The situation, he finds out, is that his expression of interest form has not yet expired. Even given the recent accident and loss of his wife he is still considered to be a viable candidate for adoption. He’ll call it his oversight for not having his name pulled from the pool but he can deal with that later. For now he’s more focused on the fact that Barry Allen has been deemed a match for him and his family and since he’s been having issues staying with his current foster family, the West family in fact Harrison comes to find out, the agency would like to set them up for a meeting to see if Barry would be a good fit as an addition to the Wells home. 

He should say no. He has Caitlin and Cisco and they work well together as a family unit. There’s an understanding there, a bond between them. Pushing Barry into that wouldn’t be fair to him or the other children involved and Harrison knows that. And yet he wants to say yes, despite the possibility of making everything worse, he wants to do it. So when Cisco and Caitlin run to the living room where he’s on the phone and prod him into agreeing, they were listening on another line in the house, he only pretends to be making a tough decision.

“So is next Saturday afternoon at 2:00 okay Dr. Wells?” the man on the other end of the call asks. Harrison confirms and the date is set. In three days he’ll be meeting up with Barry Allen. Again.

Safe to say that while Cisco and Caitlin are excited at the prospect of another sibling, Harrison Wells is more than a little nervous. He’s got three days to pull it together. Three days. 

He’d better get started.

 


	2. Meet and Greet

Iris throws her head back on the support of the couch and groans. Barry has been pacing around the room for the last half hour and honestly if he makes another lap around the coffee table she’s going to kick him out of the house herself before anyone else can. 

“How can you be this nervous? You’ve already met the guy, you like him and he likes you so what’s the problem?” Iris grabs Barry by the arm and forces him to sit next to her on the couch.

“I don’t know okay?” Barry grinds out through his teeth. He frantically rubs his hand through his hair and across his neck. “I know who he is in theory, and yeah he was nice to me at the fair but that’s completely different from being my parent!”

The couch starts creaking as Barry bounces his leg up and down on the ball of his foot. Fear assaults every part of his body making him sweat in his pressed button down and sweater vest that Joe had picked for him to wear for his meeting. With Harrison Wells. In an hour.

“I’m gonna throw up.”

“Don't do it on the carpet, go to the kitchen,” Joe says as he trots down the stairs carrying Barry's jacket and backpack. When Barry doesn't respond to his teasing he makes his way over to the couch and kneels beside Barry. 

They haven't known each other for too long but Joe knows Barry well enough to see that the meeting is truly frying his nerves. 

“You don't have to do this Barry. You can always stay here with us you know.” 

Barry shrugs Joe off and begins pacing the living room again. “That's not true! I heard the social services worker talking to you the other day. You don't make enough money and they're gonna take me away to a different foster home because of that!”

All air is sucked out of the room because Barry wasn't supposed to know that and now that he does the situation is all the more tense. 

Gently, Joe grabs Barry by the shoulders forcing him to stop. 

“Barry, if you're unsure about this I will do everything in my power to keep you here. Okay? You don't have to worry about anything because I will always be here for you and I will always  _ always  _ fight for you. You got that?”

Barry nods as Joe pokes a finger to his chest. The two stare at each other for a moment then, breaking a bit, Joe pulls Barry into a hug and holds him close. Reluctantly, Barry hugs the man back.

“Are we gonna cancel the meeting then?” Iris asks with genuine curiosity while the two embrace. 

“No,” Barry says and slides out of the hug. “I still want to do this.” 

It hurts Joe slightly that Barry wants to meet with Wells but he can't stop him from wanting to do this. So the best thing he can do right now for Barry is to be there as support. 

“Then we'd better get going or we're gonna be late.”

“See you guys later,” Iris calls from the couch as Barry and her father leave the house.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Gravel pops underneath the car as Joe West drives his car into the driveway of what must be the biggest house in Central City.

Quaint. 

Another car is already parked in the driveway but it doesn't match the ostentatious nature of the Wells home so Joe assumes it belongs to the adoption agency. It makes him bristle a bit that he has to go through this, that Barry, after everything that has happened, has to go through this. But it's better than being lost in system.

Somewhere beyond the anger and resentment, Joe knows that he should be grateful Harrison Wells is willing to entertain the idea of adopting another child, especially Barry. Then he thinks back to the fair and how they dealt with each other and even further back to when he made it his business to know everything about Dr. Wells after his arrival in Central City and he gets a sour taste in his mouth. Coupled with an awful feeling in his stomach. Suspicion or jealousy? Joe isn't sure at the moment but he has bigger things to worry about. 

Like the fact that Barry Allen is currently glued to his seat in the car chewing a hole in his shirt that Joe just washed and pressed. 

“Alright come on out Barry. The sooner you get this over with the sooner you can stop worrying about it.”

With little resistance Joe pulls Barry out of the car and straightens out his shirt collar. And dusts off his sweater vest for good measure. Barry leaves his jacket and backpack in the car because it's actually rather nice outside and he's definitely too nervous to show off his collection of comics to anyone at the moment. 

A woman in an almost lustrous chrome suit with pants that flare ever so slightly over matching flats greets the two of them at the entrance to the house. She introduces herself as Gideon which is not a strange name for anyone Joe has to tell himself as he takes her hand. She invites them in to wait for Dr. Wells and the agent from the adoption agency. 

“Thank you Miss Gideon,” Joe says as they enter. 

“It's just Gideon if you don't mind, Detective West.” 

Okay. Joe doesn't argue but he doesn't immediately correct himself either because she heads off before he can and the sound of incoming footsteps cuts him off. 

From the other end of a hallway that Gideon lead them toward comes the unmistakable sound of heelys accompanied by a pair of high heels probably chipping away at the granite flooring. Within moments two children come into view, one clad in a dark gray striated tee shirt with the starfleet symbol on it, coupled with black and blue flannel and black skinny jeans, completed by a pair of electric blue heelys; the other sporting a light blue paisley patterned knee length summer dress with a sweetheart neckline and no sleeves, cinched in the middle by a thick hickory belt, at least three fingers wide and woven like a celtic knot, that happens to match the shade of the high heeled cowboy boots the outfit is coupled with. Behind them, Harrison Wells sits in his wheelchair wearing a light gray button down shirt, sans tie, with simple black slacks, socks, and oxfords that have tan outsoles and stacked heels.

All in all, Barry feels a tad underdressed in his brown and blue argyle sweater vest, blue jeans, and ratty red kicks.

“Ah, Detective West. Nice to see you again,” Dr. Wells says as he rolls closer, pushes his glasses to his face, and smiles. They shake hands as quickly as they can without appearing rude.

“Likewise,” Joe replies. 

Gideon reenters the room followed by a woman in a classic white blouse black suit combo, pumps, and her hair in a bun. And a name tag that reads ‘Vanessa Baum.’ She must be the agent here to coordinate the adoption meeting.

A meeting that Joe finds himself being ushered out of with the explanation being that Barry needs to be with the Wells family excluding outside influences, in this case himself. It takes him a moment to collect his emotions enough for him to speak without sounding affronted by the suggestion that he might try to hinder the process. But he's an adult, so he composes himself. Saying goodbye to Barry, Joe pulls the boy into a hug and promises to pick him up at six. 

Once Joe is gone Barry is left to introduce himself to the rest of the people in the room. Cisco beats him to the chase and slides over on his heelys expertly maneuvering to stand next to Barry with his arm wrapped around the newcomer’s shoulders. 

“Welcome to the Wells family residence, I'm Cisco,” he says smiling broadly. Barry wonders if it hurts to smile that hard. Whether it does or not fails to stop Cisco from continuing. “That's Gideon, Cait, and Papa Wells,” he explains and points at each entity respectively. It wouldn't do Barry any good to know names without the corresponding faces. 

Barry can hear gravel crunching in the driveway telling him that Joe is gone and he's on his own. He takes a deep breath to steady himself. 

“Hi,” Barry says. Simple but effective. And polite.

Caitlin walks forward to say hello with her hand held out. Barry grasps it in his own and marvels at the warmth emanating from it like the feeling a hug produces but in the compact form of a handshake. 

“I prefer Caitlin by the way,” she clarifies as they dissolve their contact. Barry nods to signal his understanding. Cisco takes this time to pull the wheels out of his shoes to shove them in his pockets.

“Shall we get started then?” Vanessa asks with a smile. 

The group migrates to a sort of holding room that Barry would call the living room if not for the lack of a couch and the fact that he can see the living room a good number of feet away from where they're standing, while the woman explains the schedule for their meeting. 

“Now Mr. Allen, please keep in mind that this meeting is for you and the family only. I am here to observe but I will not intervene as it is not my place to do so. Do you have any questions before we begin.”

Oh he can't even count the amount of questions he has, but they ball up inside of him like a family of sugar gliders hunkering down for a nap. So in the end he just shakes his head, pulls his lips in and purses them between his teeth. 

“Alright, then allow me to set some ground rules before you get started. You have the option to terminate this meeting at anytime if you feel uncomfortable. You are allowed to interact with the people of this family only and please be your genuine self, it helps us better fit you with a suitable family.” 

Barry nods. 

“Then you're good to go.” 

Thank goodness for Cisco because had it been left up to Barry the meeting would never have started. Instead the ever energetic younger child of the Wells’ family takes point and drags Barry into the living room leaving Caitlin and Harrison to follow at their own volition. 

“Dude, you've been here for like seven minutes and your hands are crazy sweaty,” Cisco observes as they approach the open area with far too many couches, just about four of them. Barry thinks ‘just about’ because one of the four is a loveseat. But what's a loveseat if not a smaller couch? A baby couch? Barry jumps a bit when Cisco continues to speak. “You must be really nervous.”

It's another observation but Barry answers with a quiet “Yeah, I am,” just to confirm the statement. 

“No worries bro, I understand. I was drenched when I had my first meeting. Kinda wish I had packed an extra shirt honestly. The pit stains were awful.”

“You're rambling, Cisco,” Caitlin says in a sing song voice from behind them. Maybe she's trying to be helpful and save him from himself, or spare her own self from secondhand embarrassment. Because that was certainly something Cisco was able to bring about if left to talk to people by himself for too long.

“Just making sure that Barry knows he's not alone,” Cisco replies with his voice pitched up a moderate amount from his normal register. His eyebrows are raised to match. 

“Perhaps Mr. Allen might appreciate it more if we spoke to him and not around him, Cisco,” Harrison suggests as he watches his son launch himself backward onto the couch in the middle of the room against the back wall. The resulting creak from the furniture makes Harrison cringe; just because he can do it doesn't mean he wants to replace another couch. Third time really isn't the charm in this case and Cisco's trademark ‘my bad’ can only be endearing for so long.

Conversation stalls as everyone takes their time to find a place to sit, except Harrison and Barry. Harrison simply because he wheels himself next to Cisco and Caitlin who have chosen to sit on the same couch and Barry because he's a little too nervous to sit. He contemplates sitting on the floor but admittedly the couches look far more comfortable. Cisco pats the empty cushion next to him almost impatiently so Barry sits down with his legs glued to each other and his arms attached to his sides. 

In short, Barry Allen settles in for what is shaping up to be the most stressful four hours of his life. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Two hours in and Joe West is barely able to keep himself from jumping off the couch directly into his car to retrieve Barry from Dr. Wells immediately. 

“Dad! If you don't stop tapping your foot I'll be forced to nail it to the floor.”

So clearly Iris, in her seat at the table currently working on her social studies assignment, is not experiencing the amount of anxiety her father is. That's probably for the best since the man can barely keep himself together. At least he doesn't have to add calming his daughter down on top of that. He may be a good father but everyone has to draw the line somewhere. Though he has to say, the apparent apathy from Iris is concerning considering the fact that Barry is her best friend.

“If being with Dr. Science is what makes him happy then that's what I want for him,” she explains with a small smile on her lips. She taps her pencil on the table three times in rapid succession before jotting down an answer for her homework. “He deserves to be happy after everything that's gone wrong.”

Joe can't argue with her on that front. Of course he doesn't want to admit it but life has been grueling for Barry and everyone else involved. With the deaths of Henry and Nora Allen, Central City definitely feels like a dimmer place. Even Barry comes across as a hollow version of himself smiling only to stop people from asking him if he feels alright. Joe understands as best he can but understanding can't stop the sorrow he feels for seeing Barry so despondent. 

He can only hope that this interest in adoption from Dr. Wells is genuine and that Barry will have a chance to be happy again.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

It's another half hour later when Barry calls Joe to update him on the status of his adoption meeting and the man can't decide if he's glad that Barry's having a good time or if he's upset because Harrison Wells is doing a better job of making Barry happy than he has in the last few months. 

They, Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, and Dr. Wells, are at what is built of S.T.A.R. Labs right now, which if Joe remembers correctly is that giant futuristic building that's being built to compete with the other labs around Central City. So why are they there?

“Cisco was talking about some of the cool stuff that they've got coming in so Dr. Wells said we should come visit and see how things were going. Construction is going crazy fast and they've only been building for a year!” There's such awe in Barry's voice that Joe can't help but be pulled in by the boy's excitement. “You really ought to see this place it's incredible!” 

Joe knows for a fact that he wouldn't get the same thrill out of visiting the place as Barry but he gives the boy an affirmative anyway. He's certain that if Barry gets adopted he'll have plenty of time to show Joe around. 

Iris overhears the conversation and demands the phone so she can talk to her friend and Joe relents mainly because he can't keep up with Barry anymore. So Iris takes his cell and darts off to her room to talk with Barry for as long as she can before he has to hang up. 

And that moment isn't for another twenty minutes. Just enough time for Joe to evaluate his own part in this whole shindig of guardianship. 

Conversely Harrison watches Barry as he flits through the halls of S.T.A.R. Labs with Cisco as his honorary tour guide and he finds himself unable to divorce himself from the notion of becoming Barry's adoptive father. It's only their first meeting and nothing is set in stone but the warm feeling in his chest gives Harrison a great deal to think about. Good and bad. Because he knows that the glamour of his being Harrison Wells will wear off, that's inevitable. What happens after that is what has him on edge. Even though no one has mentioned it the undercurrent of tragedy in the situation is undeniable. An unsuitable foster situation brought on by the murder of his parents. Harrison knows Barry won't stay this jovial for long so he holds onto the image of Barry's smile while he has the chance. 

“Dr. Doom and Gloom makes his appearance at an hour and twenty four minutes away from a perfect meeting, and we were doing so well.” 

Dr. Wells pulls his head away from his hands to look at Caitlin trailing behind her brother and Barry at her father's right hand side. 

“Was I brooding again?”

“Harder than ever,” Caitlin confirms. She crosses her arms over her chest and waits for an explanation. Harrison doesn't give one but instead pulls his glasses off as everybody comes to a halt in the cortex of the lab. 

“And that's as much as we have so far,” Cisco tells Barry with an almost nervous smile that doesn't really reach his eyes. It changes when Barry responds with a smile of his own.

“It's incredible, I can't believe I got to see so much already!”

Harrison taps the temple tip of his glasses against his lips with a faint smile. 

“Well Mr. Allen, I'm glad we could bring you here,” he says to grab Barry's attention. And it works. Barry turns a good seventy degrees to face Dr. Wells as he replaces his glasses and continues to speak. “However, I believe that now would be a good time to head back before traffic becomes impossible to navigate.”

Harrison feels a feather light tap to his shoulder as everyone heads out on their way to exit the building. He looks over to see Barry Allen nervously biting the inside of his cheek. Waiting for Barry to say something, Harrison raises his eyebrows above the rims of his glasses.

Still gnawing at his cheek Barry starts to speak in a hushed voice that Harrison almost strains to hear. “Could you call me Barry, please?”

Harrison Wells would like nothing more than to do just that. 

“Of course, Barry.”

With matching smiles on their faces the both of them continue forward into the elevator after Caitlin and Cisco on their way out of S.T.A.R. Labs.

Barry's day ends on a high note as his adoption meeting comes to a close. Caitlin and Cisco give their goodbye hugs to the sound of gravel popping for the third time as Joe West pulls up to the house to collect Barry for the evening. 

Then, to everyone's surprise, Barry darts forward and embraces Dr. Wells in a hug that the man is almost too stunned to return. Almost. He does manage to lift his arms and pull Barry in closer before he can break contact. 

“Thank you,” Barry mutters into his shoulder. Harrison squeezes a little tighter. 

Barry says a final goodbye as Gideon and the woman from the adoption agency show him out. 

Cisco waves and mock sniffs a bit. “I'm gonna miss that kid.”

Caitlin rolls her eyes and places her hands on her hips. “He'll be back next Saturday at the same time, Cisco.”

“And until then I will miss him,” Cisco replies with a curt nod and a stern crease in his brow. Caitlin rolls her eyes even harder, mumbles something about starting dinner while walking in the direction of the kitchen.

And though he doesn't say it out loud, Harrison shares the same sentiment. The sound of Joe's car driving away leaves him mildly dejected until Cisco grabs his wheelchair and pulls him off to the living room away from the door and the sound of Barry's departure.  

-*-*-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*-*-

“So, how'd it go?” Iris asks as Barry slides into the back seat of the car next to her. Barry smiles with a genuine mirth that Joe hasn't seen for a long time so it must have been a good meeting. 

“Actually much better than I thought it would,” Barry tells her and launches into a more detailed explanation.

Joe backs the car out of the driveway with the feeling that he'll be seeing this house far more often than he ever intended. It's bittersweet for him but he keeps it to himself and grins as he catches glimpses of Barry's impassioned gesticulations that accompany his retelling of the day's events. 

Barry Allen has had a good day and Joe West couldn't be happier if he tried. Hopefully life starts to improve for Barry from this point forward.

And it feels like it does as the weeks progress and the meetings with Dr. Wells and his children continue. Barry finds that getting along with Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells is far easier than he initially thought. The frequent visits to S.T.A.R. Labs give him something to look forward too as well. Every visit brings something new and exciting that Barry is astounded by each time. 

Maybe it's because Cisco has a go-getter type personality but he and Barry get along right away. Though Barry does find it a bit awkward to have Cisco constantly at his side like an attention starved puppy. They eventually find a common ground wherein Cisco can hug Barry as long as he gives sufficient warning first which morphs into “Incoming!” followed by a hug strong enough to make Barry feel the need for new ribs. Barry learns to not mind.  

It's a bit more rocky at first with Caitlin. She sticks to her father's side and gives Barry a lot of space during meetings. And while she's not hostile she's not overly affectionate either. Barry often gets the feeling that she's watching him, well more accurately judging him, waiting for him to slip up. He doesn't know why but he doesn't push the issue and decides to let her set the rules of engagement. She's never anything less than pleasant any so it's not bad, just awkward.

Before he even realizes it he's been to enough meetings to have the agency look into setting him up to be fostered by Harrison Wells until they decide whether or not the adoption is a good idea. Since they're already looking down the road of fostering one can assume adoption isn't far off. For the second time Barry Allen frets about possibly being adopted by Harrison Wells.

Because Barry isn't sure he's ready for that kind of change. 


	3. All Aboard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say that at this point the story got away from me and where it ended up was not what I originally planned...oops.

Two o’clock in the morning is probably the worst time to call anyone, especially if they happen to be one of the rare few who go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up at five in the morning to the start of a what is likely to be a productive day. Like Harrison Wells, who makes a habit of going to bed no later than eleven at night. The point being, Harrison Wells is not a man who is well equipped to handle being shaken awake by his daughter at just after two in the morning because Detective West is on the phone asking for him. According to Caitlin Joe says it's an emergency.

He runs a hand across his eyes and groans almost inaudibly so that Joe can't hear him on his end of the call. Caitlin hands him the cordless landline phone when he makes a beckoning motion with his free hand that isn't currently massaging his eyelids; the left one. 

“Detective West, what can I do for you?” he forces out in the clearest voice he can muster. His vocal chords crackle in rebellion at the need to be used so soon after waking nonetheless. He waits for Joe's reply as Caitlin eases herself onto the edge of his bed. 

“Dr. Wells, thank God! Do you know where Barry is?”

For a moment Harrison's sleep addled mind doesn't understand the question. It's seven minutes after two in the morning on a Thursday so the assumption is that Barry would be with Joe at home, in bed resting before school. And Harrison goes to say as much until he registers the barely contained panic in Joe's voice.  

Harrison makes sure to keep his own voice level as he responds. “No, I don't know where he is, what's happened?”

There's a strangled sigh from Joe's end of the phone line. “He must have run away again. Iris and I don't know where he went. I was hoping he might have gone to see you but I guess not.”

“You said ‘again’,” Harrison points out while he pulls himself up into a seated position. Caitlin steadies him. Now upright he continues his thought with “Where did he run to the first time?”

“The precinct. He was trying to get some answers about his parents murder but he's not there, I know, I just came in from work. The other few times he just ran to different places around town, so at this point he could be anywhere.”

Central City is a big place and when Joe says Barry could be anywhere Harrison knows it's not hyperbole. With determination and careful planning he's certain Barry could make it to somewhere like Keystone or Starling City if he felt so inclined. Harrison sincerely hopes that isn't the case. 

“And I'm assuming since you're calling me he doesn't have his phone on.”

“He went one step beyond and left it on silent under his pillow. I left four messages before Iris found it a few minutes ago.” There's an obvious undercurrent of exasperation in Joe's tone so Harrison cuts their conversation short. 

“Meet me here as soon as you can and we'll figure out a plan for finding Barry,” he tells Joe. When he gets a grunt of agreement from the detective he hangs up and presses the phone into the minimal flesh of his forehead and proceeds to massage the area while biting his lip. 

“What happened to Barry?”

Harrison jumps at the sound of Caitlin’s voice just across from him. He had forgotten that she had stayed in the room after handing him the phone. 

“Go get Cisco, I'll explain when Detective West gets here.”

Caitlin is reluctant to leave but does so at his further insistence and leaves the room as he pulls himself into a better sitting position in order to get ready. 

Turning on a couple of lights as she goes, Caitlin makes her way to Cisco's bedroom going as fast as she can without slipping on the floors. It takes her just about two minutes to reach his door and start banging on it. 

“It's not locked!” she hears him yell from inside. Wasting no time Caitlin slams the door open. 

“You need to get up.”

Cisco opens an eye to look at Caitlin, then his alarm clock which glares out an angry time of 2:11 AM which makes him scoff and close his eyes again.

“Nice try Cait, but it's too early to make me think I'm late for school because of whatever that spring forward thingy is. Good effort though.”

Caitlin growls in the back of her throat in frustration. “Barry's missing!”

That gets his attention.

Cisco jolts up in his bed. “What do you mean ‘Barry's missing’?”

“I didn't hear all of it but Detective West called and spoke to Papa, and what I did hear wasn't good. I think Barry ran away.”

Cisco's heartbreak is damn near audible. “But why?”

“I don't know,” Caitlin sighs and wraps her arms around the boy on the bed. He leans into her shoulder and mumbles about a movie marathon they were supposed to have. 

“We were gonna watch The Princess Bride.”

After a few minutes of letting Cisco sulk, Caitlin gets him up and out of bed telling him to get ready. 

“Detective West should be here soon,” Caitlin says while Cisco slips on a t-shirt to go with his flannel pajama pants. Caitlin herself is in a pair of pajamas and neither have the motivation to put on their regular day clothes.  Soon enough the two children make their way to the living room to wait for Joe and their father.

Everyone looks sufficiently rumpled once they're all gathered in the living room. Harrison hasn't bothered to comb his hair and the kids, Caitlin, Cisco, and Iris, are all in some variation of their pajamas. Joe is the only one who manages to look decent due to the fact that he had yet to change out of his work clothes, though he did have the presence of mind to leave his gun and holster at home.

“Why exactly are we taking your car?” Joe asks Dr. Wells with his arms folded across his chest. 

“Because you and I are both going to be looking for Barry and I don't have the capacity to drive my car at the moment nor do I think roaming around town in only my wheelchair will help us locate Barry any faster.” A perfectly valid explanation given that Harrison is not able to drive because he hasn't quite learned how to work the hand controls for his vehicle and specialized taxis always prove to be more hassle than they're worth in the end. So he argues with Joe to get him to agree while the children talk amongst themselves. 

It takes all of ten seconds for Cisco to be fed up with the pointless chatter. “If you two don't stop bickering we're never gonna find Barry! I'll go out and look for him myself if you don't shut up!” 

The rest of the occupants in the room are rendered speechless as Cisco stomps to the front door practically ordering Joe to drive Harrison's van. “All of us can fit and we don't have time to argue. We're going. Now.” 

Joe sighs and holds out his hand looking at Cisco's retreating form. Without a word Harrison passes his car keys over to him. They both follow Cisco with Caitlin and Iris in tow. 

With everyone piled into the van, Joe and Harrison discuss where to begin looking as they pull out of the driveway.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

For a spring evening it's frigid outside and not for the first time that night does Barry wish he had thought to bring his jacket with him. Or at least a long sleeve shirt because his short sleeve pajama tee is doing nothing to protect him from the cold. 

Barry adjusts the straps of his backpack and wraps his arms around his chest to grip his shoulders in an effort to stay warm as he walks closer to his destination. Briefly, he thinks he should have brought his cell with him, leaving it behind because he didn't wan to get caught had been rather stupid. He thinks for a moment that maybe he shouldn't have run away at all but his feet keep moving further away from Joe and Dr. Wells and Central City because something has to give. At some point the other shoe is going to drop and he doesn't want to be there when it does.

Under the streetlamp in the distance, Barry can see the entrance to the train station. It's right there. All he has to do is walk forward, and go inside to buy a ticket with the emergency money Joe gave him a few months back after he missed the school bus and had to walk to school. After that he can go anywhere he wants. And yeah he's not sure where he wants to go but if he can just get away from Central City and breathe for a moment he can figure it out. Later. 

The train station greets him with fluorescent lighting as Barry opens the double doors that lead into the structure. Light bounces from one white tiled wall to another causing the whole area to seem brighter than necessary, especially after coming in from the dimly lit streets of the city's early morning.

Doing his best not to make too much noise Barry walks down the steps in front of him letting the doors close behind him. It's fairly early in the morning, 2:18 the clock on the opposite side of the loading platform tells him, so there's hardly anybody to be seen save for him, one haggard businessman, and a few station attendants. 

On further inspection, as he walks closer, Barry Allen notices that the businessman has a lab coat slung askew over his forearm. So maybe he's a doctor? Or a scientist? Barry winds up staring at the man while he tries to figure out which is true. Not that it matters in the long run, but he's curious all the same.  He notices a few things of interest like the fact that the man is standing next to a briefcase that has Concordance Research engraved on an embedded metal name plate accompanied by the name Dr. Martin Stein in smaller print. Scientist it is then.

“Can I help you, young man?”

Barry's heart thuds against his ribs in panic. The man, Dr. Stein, looks at him over the newspaper he happens to be reading. Strange enough the front page story happens to be about S.T.A.R. Labs and it's rapid progress. How convenient for Barry.

“I was just wondering if you were a scientist, sir.” Sometimes it's best to just go with the truth. 

“What for?”

“Because I saw your lab coat and your newspaper.” And sometimes it's best to garnish that truth with a lie. “Do you know anything about S.T.A.R. Labs?”

Of course at this point Barry knows just about everything anyone aside from Harrison Wells, his children, and the construction team could hope to know about S.T.A.R. Labs. But if he's going to continue to lie he might as well do it under the guise of scientific curiosity since it's easy enough for him to pull off.

“Only that it's supposed to be the next big name in scientific research and advancement, if Dr.McGee is to be believed.” 

Now that's a name he hasn't heard in relation to Harrison Wells. But it does sound familiar. “Dr. McGee?”

Dr. Stein nods. “Founder of Mercury Labs.” He pauses for a moment and furrows his brow. “You seem awfully interested in things beyond your years young man.” 

“My teacher tells me that all the time,” Barry replies absently. Dr. Stein chuckles in response. 

The two of them lapse into an uncomfortable silence soon filled by an announcement from the PA system of the station. 

_ _ _ “The next train to Starling City will arrive in fifteen minutes.” _ Pause. Start.  _ “Again, the next train to Starling City will arrive in fifteen minutes. Please purchase your tickets if you have not already done so.” _

Barry thumbs the money in his pocket and looks at the ticket booth. It might be a stupid idea but he entertains the idea of going to Starling City. He's certain that Joe won't find him in fifteen minutes. Because it's only 2:25 and he knows Joe is probably just realizing he's gone. He’s not worried about getting caught so much as he's worried about being lost without a plan. But he chose to run away, so what's the point in backing out now?

The clock hits 2:27 AM at the moment Barry makes his decision to buy a ticket just as Dr Stein decides to speak with him again. 

“Now I admit that I'm not the authority on children, but aren't you a little young to be out here this early in the morning by yourself?”

Barry's face heats up and his heart starts to pound rapidly again. He can't think of an explanation fast enough that won't give him away. 

“Aren't your parents worried about you?”

It's 2:28 in the morning on a Thursday in spring and Barry Allen wishes he had stayed home because the moment Dr. Stein asks his question two things happen. First, the sound of his mother telling him to run fills Barry's skull; second, much to his surprise the face he sees when he closes his eyes to fight back his tears isn't his mother's but that of Harrison Wells. Eventually the faces of Joe, Iris, Caitlin, and Cisco follow.

Barry's resolve starts to break at the same time he starts wiping tears away from his eyes. He pulls his hand out of his pocket releasing the money in the process and it's basically a done deal. Starling City starts to feel too far a place to go just because he's scared. 

A hand falls on his shoulder causing him to gasp in surprise. Barry opens his eyes to see Dr. Stein kneeling in front with a sad smile and scrunched brow. 

“If I may,” he says slowly looking at Barry with obvious concern. “I get the impression that you are running away from home. Am I correct in that assumption?”

No sense in lying at this point since he's already crying in front of a complete stranger. He lets his shoulders sag as he nods in answer to Dr. Stein’s question. 

“Might I make a suggestion?” Barry nods again prompting Dr. Stein to continue. “Right now the problems you're facing must seem insurmountable and terrifying. But I'm certain an ambitious young lad like yourself can face them if you try. You just have to remember that it's okay to ask for help when you need it. The farther away you run from your problems the worse they'll become.” 

Barry nods and smiles through his sniffles and hiccup laden sobs. Dr. Stein pats his shoulder in encouragement with a sympathetic smile of his own. 

_ “The next train to Starling City will be arriving in five minutes. Again the next train to Starling City will be arriving in five minutes please have your tickets ready.”  _

“Now, I hope you have a safe means of getting home,” Dr. Stein says pulling his hand away from Barry's shoulder to take his ticket out of the breast pocket of his suit. When Barry bites his lip and stays silent Dr. Stein comes up with another idea. “Should I call for a cab?”

Now this is why having his cell phone would have been handy because the only number he knows by heart is Iris’s but without his phone that doesn't mean anything. It clicks for Barry a few seconds later after his internal self admonishment.

“No thank you, but can I borrow your phone to call a friend to come get me?” 

Dr. Stein pulls out his phone, a simple gray pay as you go flip phone that makes Barry cringe involuntarily, but he takes it anyway with a thank you and dials his best friend’s number and hopes that she'll pick up despite the foreign number. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Iris yelps when her phone vibrates against her leg. The number that shows up on the screen is one she doesn't recognize and for a moment she almost sends it to voicemail but Cisco pipes up from the seat behind her asking if it's Barry calling at the same time her father asks who's calling her at this hour.

“He doesn't have his phone remember?” Caitlin snaps at Cisco but before he can reply with the idea that Barry is using another phone Iris picks up the call and slams the phone to her ear. 

“Hello?” 

Barry's voice comes through the speaker saying “Hey, Iris. It's Barry.”

Joe struggles momentarily to keep the van on the road when Iris yells that she knows where Barry is from her seat behind his.

“Where?” Harrison asks fighting to keep his calm demeanor intact as he taps his fingers on the armrest of his chair in anticipation. 

“He says to meet him at S.T.A.R. Labs,” she tells him and it's not even a second after she finishes her sentence before Harrison rattles off directions to Joe in order to get them to the lab sooner rather than later. 

Iris tells Barry that they're coming as he tells her he has to hand the phone back to the man he who let him borrow it. 

Eleven minutes is all it takes for Joe to speed his way toward the lab and he makes note to pardon the speeding tickets he knows Wells will get after he notices a few speed limit cameras catch the van’s plates. Not that Wells can't pay for them but he is driving so it's common courtesy for him. 

Speeding tickets are the last thing on Harrison's mind as they race toward Barry. He's far too focused on composing himself because for the first time in a few years Harrison wants to weep in relief. The thought of anything happening to Barry scared him as much as the thought of anything happening to Cisco or Caitlin. The adoption isn't official at this point but he knows himself well enough to say he's already attached to the idea of adopting Barry. He was the moment he confirmed their first meeting. Caitlin had even confronted him about it giving her own brand of approval. 

_ “I think he'll be good for this family,”  she tells her father while they clean the dishes after dinner the Saturday of their first introduction to Barry _ Alle n.

_ “Cisco seems to like him,” he replies avoiding her gaze. _

_ “So do you.” _

Even now in his anger and worry he can't deny the truth of her observation. He puts his hand on either side of his head to calm down and prepare for what's about to come.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

S.T.A.R. Labs comes into view and immediately the tension in the van dissipates as Barry's form becomes visible at the guarding fence of the back entrance of the building. 

To everyone's surprise and probably even her own, Caitlin is the first one out of the van and on her way to Barry before Joe can even finish parking. She leaves behind Cisco who is helping their father navigate the odd slope of the ramp in the van that never got fixed, and Iris who is waiting for her own father to get out of the vehicle.

Caitlin’s flats slip on the ground beneath her as she charges forward but that doesn't stop her from making it to Barry in record time. 

Barry is sitting on the ground with his knees tucked to his chest and a lab coat draped over his shoulders that he's basically white knuckling for dear life. It's a rather pitiful sight, but Caitlin doesn't care because right now she's dealing with too many emotions to rein herself in.

“You'd better have one fantastic explanation for running away, Barry.”

He pulls the lab coat tighter around himself at the absence of sympathy in her voice. Sure, he wasn't expecting a warm welcome but maybe a hug first from someone? Definitely not a reprimand. But that's Caitlin he supposes as she crouches in front of him and leans in with the most enraged eyes he's ever seen. 

“Why would you do that? Why?” They're questions but she's practically yelling. 

“I got s-scared and I-I panicked…”

Caitlin glares. “You have my number and Cisco’s number but instead of calling to talk to one of us, you decided to runaway?"

He can hear her grinding her teeth at his silent nod in response. 

“I can't believe this. After everything that's happened everything we've been through, you'd just runaway at the drop of a hat? That isn't fair! We're family!” 

Family?

Barry looks up at Caitlin to see tears sliding down her face. She's shaking and has her hands balled into fist press firmly into her thighs. 

“But I'm not-

“Maybe you haven't been officially adopted yet but that doesn't matter,” she cuts him off her tears starting to flow harder. They're leaving dark patches on her clothing. “You're family."

And here she does something that Barry definitely isn't prepared for. She lets her knees hit the ground so that she can pull him into a bone crushing hug that takes him off guard because this isn't like the hugs he's been getting from her at at the end of their meetings; the obligatory “I know that I'm expected to hug you so I'm going to" hug. 

No, this time she's got her hand on the back of his head and the other one on his back and her head is slotted into the crook of his shoulder like she's anchoring him in Central City. It reminds him of that first handshake they shared, there's a warmth in her touch that make him feel safer than he has in a long time. 

Over Caitlin’s shoulder Barry can see Joe, Dr. Wells, Iris, and Cisco approaching all with varying degrees of concern on their faces. Joe looks exhausted, while Iris looks relieved. Cisco looks like a combination of joy and devastation. All of that is enough to make Barry start to tear up and then he sees Dr. Wells and begins to sob in earnest. 

Harrison  Wells has an aspect that doesn't display too much emotion on a regular basis aside from sarcasm and subdued pride for his children. So to see him look so stricken is new for Barry.

And the only thing he can think is that this is his fault. 

Every emotion that Barry's hidden or pushed away over the last year comes crashing down in a torrent of tears that roll down his face to his chin. His face is sufficiently soaked by the time everyone catches up to Caitlin but he keeps crying because he needs the catharsis, the general release of everything that's been weighing on him since his parents died. 

Caitlin holds him through it all. 

Once he collects himself a little, Barry is able to pull away from the hug and look at everyone else occupying the space just outside of S.T.A.R. Labs. Cisco fidgets until Barry and Caitlin are far enough apart so that he can cut in and give Barry a hug of his own. One that's just as desperate as the hug before but in a different sense. Where Caitlin seemed to want Barry to know he needed to stay, Cisco's hug feels more a child clinging desperately to their parents leg in that “Please don't go I love you so much” fashion. Barry's had lots of practice dealing with this hug from Cisco so he wraps his arms around the boy and squeezes back. 

“I'm sorry,” Barry whispers.

“Don't be, you didn't do anything wrong,” Cisco pauses. “Well I mean  _ technically  _ yeah you did but I totally get why you did it. Not really but I think I do? I’m gonna stop talking now.”

“Alright Cisco, let him breathe,” Harrison says bringing his chair close enough to then to be able to put his hand on Cisco's shoulder. 

When Cisco disengages from Barry, Harrison has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from gasping at the utter guilt he sees in Barry's eyes. A silent apology for his actions, one that he needn't give but does anyway. Neither know what to say or how to proceed; for the first time in a long time Harrison Wells is speechless. 

Briefly he wonders if this is what Caitlin saw in him after the accident, after Tess died. 

Watching Joe and Iris step in to hug Barry snaps Harrison out of his stupor. With a hint of indignation, Harrison leaves them to it wheeling himself over to Caitlin and Cisco who have moved off to the side in order to give Barry and the Wests their space. 

Casual as the day is long, Caitlin slips her fingers under her father's palm and curls them to engulf his hand. She doesn't say anything, she doesn't need to.  Feeling left out, Cisco falls into default position, his arms bent over the back of Harrison's wheelchair to cross in front of the man's chest in some facsimile of a hug.

What a perfect scene: the father, his two children, together and perfectly content to face the world as it comes. And yet there's something missing. 

“Barry,” Harrison says calling the attention back to himself as politely as he can manage. It still feels like he's stepping on Joe's toes in the attempt. Joe agrees if his glare is any indication. “May I have a word?”

They reside in silence for a time as they distance themselves from the group. Barry isn't sure of what he's expected to do and Harrison isn't certain what happens to be the best way to approach the current situation.

Best to just do it and get it over with then. 

“If you're uncomfortable going through the with adoption you can say so. Maybe I'm being presumptuous but I get the feeling this, tonight or this morning rather, is because Vanessa mentioned the idea of taking steps to finalize the adoption. You are under no obligation to continue with the process if you don't want to.”

Harrison stops his chair when he realizes Barry is no longer by his side. 

“Barry?”

“I thought I was,” Barry begins slowly, biting his lip and wringing his hands around the edge of the lab coat he's still wearing. “Scared of adoption, I mean. That's why I started to run away. I thought that if I left I wouldn't have to deal with the issue. That I could I don't know, escape?”

Harrison senses there's more that Barry wants to say so he hunkers down in his chair and waits for Barry to start up again. Barry, for his part, can feel Harrison's eyes on him and figures now is a good time to explain himself. 

“My parents are dead because of me.” 

Well that certainly wasn't what Harrison was expecting to hear.  But Barry continues and Harrison doesn't interrupt. 

“What happened to them wasn't fair and I didn't help. Maybe if I had stayed I could have done something. I should've,” he's sniffling, rubbing his arm across his eyes, desperately blinking back tears. “I should've gone back inside to help them! They're dead and I didn't do anything!”

The other shoe isn't in fact a shoe, Barry realizes. It's more like a cinder block strung up too high on a fraying rope. The rope snaps. And when the cinder block drops the crash is enough to rock him to his core. What he wouldn't give to be back in his bed at home with his mother there to tuck him in and kiss his forehead. He yearns to be back home where his name is Slugger and his dad ruffles his hair even though he knows it takes Barry _ forever _ to get it to look right.

“I miss my mom and dad.”

Harrison watches Barry for a moment. The boy has his arms pinned to his side and his hands clenched around the lab coat he's wearing. Every shake of his arms makes Harrison wince because he knows that pain. That deep rooted guilt that won't go away no matter how unwarranted it is.

“It's a terrible thing isn't it? Knowing that if you had just tried harder things would be different, better. That if you had done something, anything,  _ anything at all,  _ maybe you wouldn't be so alone,” Harrison muses looking up at the night sky and the stars blinking just behind the clouds. “That kind of guilt eats at your resolve slowly and once it gets to the quick of it you either stand firm or you break."

“My wife, Tess, taught me in life and in death, that it's okay to break. Even crumble and fall apart. So long as you're willing to let someone help you piece yourself back together again.” Harrison pauses again to collect his thoughts. “You won't be the same as you were before after all is said and done. No one should expect you to be, least of all yourself. But the person that comes back from that tragedy is just as strong and amazing as the one before, perhaps even more so.

“And for the record, Barry, the only person to blame for your parents’ deaths is their killer and no on else. Your parents did what every parent hopes they can. They raised a magnificent young man and did everything they could to protect you and keep you safe. You surviving and living on is how you can help them. Because you are the best thing they managed to put into this world and yes it will take time but life will be better for you.” 

Three steps and Barry could be close enough to give Dr. Wells a hug. He could move and feel that warmth that came with being part of the Wells family, the acceptance and unflappable resolve to be there for each other. Three steps and he could have a family again. Not the same one as before but maybe just as loving. 

“Barry, if you'll allow me, I will do everything in my power to make life better for you in any and every capacity that I can.”

Harrison doesn't even register Barry darting forward until he has the boy wrapped in his arms. Tears soak his shoulder within seconds and all he can do is hold Barry closer, and fight back tears of his own. 

“Oh Barry,” Harrison whispers in response to the choked sobs he hears from the boy. Almost on reflex he moves his hands to rub Barry's back in small circles because at this point words have escaped him and all he has left is touch.

Above them the moon and stars glint and flicker brighter than before, the clouds having rolled away moments earlier. And as Harrison comforts Barry and thinks about his late wife he can't help but feel that S.T.A.R. Labs has never been more appropriate a name than in this moment. 

And that even in all this darkness Tess would have loved this. Tess would have loved Barry. But Harrison can do that enough for the both of them, he has no doubt about that now. 

Harrison tears his eyes away from the stars and rests his head on Barry's, still circling his hands in comfort. They can't stay like this forever but he'll take all the time he can. 

Barry, like Caitlin and Cisco, is worth all the time in the world. 


	4. Dinner and a Movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the final chapter. I had a hard time wrapping this up but hopefully it works well enough until I get the next one finished.

The general consensus among the group at the Wells household is that the children are too emotionally spent to handle going to school.

“So long as you're okay with it Detective, I'd be more than happy have to Iris and Barry stay here. After all the last couple of hours have been taxing on everyone.” 

Harrison is only offering because Joe has to go into work later and Joe knows that. He finds it fascinating that Dr. Wells is still asking permission to take Barry off his hands even though at this point he's closer than Joe is to being Barry's legal guardian.

Three pairs of puppy eyes hit Joe harder than a ton of bricks. The culprits being chiefly Cisco, then Barry, and Iris; Caitlin on the other hand fixes him with an expression that matches Dr. Wells’ more than the other children in the room . It’s an expression that says they're not going to force him to say yes but they're certainly not going to let him say no. 

“Even if I were to say yes, Iris and Barry can't stay in their pajamas all day and I'm not driving home to grab their clothes just to come back then drive home again.”

Joe tells himself to watch out for Caitlin when she smiles at him because it's obvious from the glint in her eyes she's got a plan of attack and she won't be denied. 

“That's no problem Detective West,” Caitlin says sounding far more innocent than she looks. “I've got some old clothes that should fit Iris that I don't wear anymore and I'm sure Cisco won't mind giving Barry something to wear, right Cisco?” She looks to Cisco, who is nodding enthusiastically, then back to Joe. She gives him a generous ten seconds before his resolve taps out.

At seven seconds Joe sighs and scoffs with a smirk. That's one excuse gone but Joe can play dirty too. “So who's going to watch everyone?”

Caitlin doesn't miss a beat. 

“Papa can work from home and Gideon will be here at 8:30 so that means there will be two adults in the house. And since I'm fourteen I can legally watch everyone one else in the room when the adults have things to do.”

Relentless. 

Joe turns to Dr. Wells and frowns. “She's not gonna let me say no is she?”

“Not likely,” Harrison chuckles. 

Joe cocks an eyebrow at the other man's nonchalance but gives in anyway. “Fine.”

“Oh yeah baby bring on the popcorn ‘cause we're having a movie marathon!” 

All eyes turn toward Cisco in stunned silence.

“Or...we could sit around quietly and play board games?”

With a motion from Dr. Wells, Caitlin ushers the other children to another room in the house, most likely the in home theater, to give Joe and Harrison their space. Barry and Iris wave goodbye to Joe as they leave. 

Harrison finds himself wishing his foyer wasn't occupied by anyone other than himself. All he wants to do is go back to bed before he actually has to be a productive member of society but it's a little after three in the morning and Joe West is still standing in front of him. 

“Something else you need Detective?” 

“You really think letting them stay home is a good idea?” Joe asks in a tone indicative of the fact that he thinks Dr. Wells is handling the situation incorrectly.

“Yes I do,” Harrison drawls out. “Punishing Barry for what happened today would be pointless, bordering on cruel, and I think I can safely say everyone is a bit exhausted and deserves a break. You as well.”

“Funds are tight enough as it is. I can't afford to skip a day unless it's necessary.” Joe pauses and sighs. “ Just promise me you won't sweep what happened under the rug, for Barry's sake.”

“We'll have words later when he's ready, but for now I want him to relax and feel comfortable here again before I push him to say anything. Everything's rather raw at the moment and I don't want to make the situation worse.”

It's at this point Harrison has had his fill of Joe and his lack of trust so he ushers the detective to the door rebuffing every effort at conversation until Joe finally steps through the threshold and into the driveway.

Would it be rude of Harrison to sigh in relief at Joe's exit? Definitely. Does he do it anyway? Absolutely. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Cisco sighs and sinks into the couch just under the projector in the theater room. “Okay, I know I said we were gonna watch The Princess Bride, but now that I know you and Iris haven't seen Star Wars we have to watch it. It's mandatory.”

“Why?”

“Because it's a cultural milestone, Barry. One of the most American and nerdy things out there. And  as an American Nerd you are obligated to watch Star Wars. Those are the rules I can't change them.” 

Iris and Barry chuckle at his insistence. It doesn't take long before Cisco scrambles over to one of the many DVD/Blu-ray filled shelves lining the walls of the room and Barry follows looking at the collection in awe. 

“Mm, oh so very tempting but we can do Star Trek later since we have to watch the original series first and that's a commitment,” Cisco mumbles to himself as he thumbs his way through the ‘S’ section of discs. 

“Aha!” Cisco exclaims in triumph. He holds the DVD in the air. “Behold good gentlefolk! Star Wars: A New Hope for your viewing pleasure.”

Barry's all for it until he looks at the cover and sees ‘IV' behind the title. “Four? Shouldn't we start with the first one?”

A pause. Barry thinks he can hear the sound of Cisco grinding his teeth. “Dude, I don't have enough time in the day explain why that's a terrible idea.”

Barry decides not to push the issue but only because Caitlin beats him to the punch. 

“You're being dramatic Cisco, the prequels are fine.”

“Fine? Caitlin I'm sorry but you can no longer be my sister if that's the kind of attitude you have. I'm preparing your pink slip as we speak. Please have your things packed within the next week.”

Barry slinks back over to the couch and sits next to Iris as Caitlin and Cisco continue their debate. 

“Revenge of the Sith was a perfectly good movie,” Caitlin supplies.

“Ha! That's funny. It was passable  _ at best _ and nothing compared to the original trilogy.”

“Think we'll ever get to watch the movie?” Iris whispers to Barry from behind the back of her hand. 

“I give it another fifteen minutes before they burn themselves out,” Barry says with a smirk. 

Long about fifteen minutes later Caitlin presents an argument that Cisco finds impossible refute. “On that point we can agree. Ewan McGregor is an absolute treasure who only ever did the best he could with what he had to work with,” Cisco says as he pulls two other cases from the shelf. 

With everyone settled finally Cisco puts the movie in. Only to groan and throw his head back in frustration. 

Barry gives him a concerned once over. “Cisco?”

“I forgot the popcorn.” 

“We don't need pop- 

“Don't even finish that sentence, Barry,” Cisco demands as he puts his finger over Barry's mouth. “Popcorn is essential for movie marathons. Another rule that I cannot change.” 

Caitlin, wonderful human being that she is, volunteers to get the popcorn so that the others can keep watching. She's seen it enough times to know she won't be missing anything by leaving, thank you Cisco.  It doesn't take her too long to get to get to the kitchen, well the main one anyway, the kitchenette in one of guest rooms doesn't really count. Mainly by muscle memory she pulls the popcorn box from the cabinet just above the stove and takes out three bags because Cisco can blow through one without having to try so the more popcorn the higher likelihood that she'll actually get some.

“Popcorn duty?”

Caitlin jumps as Harrison rolls up behind her. “Cisco forgot,” she says with a noncommittal shrug as she places a bag in the microwave. 

“A bit early in the morning to be eating popcorn,” Harrison notes. 

“I'll make breakfast later, maybe omelettes or pancakes I'm not sure.” 

Harrison gives a little hum in acknowledgment but his mind is hardly with the conversation. He can feel the base of the speakers rumble from the sounds of fire between the rebel ship and the Star Destroyer but that's far from his main focus. Joe's concern for Barry cements itself in the forefront of his thoughts enough for Caitlin to call him out on brooding again. 

“You should come watch the movie with us, relax a little. Maybe it'll keep you from ruining the floors with water from that black storm cloud hanging over your head.” 

Harrison goes to decline her offer but is cut off by the sound of the microwave beeping. The smell of salt and grease waft toward him and break his resolve just as fast as a burger from none other than Big Belly Burger. 

He sighs then smirks. “I'll grab the bowls.”

Caitlin hums in agreement with a smile on her face. 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

“Are you absolutely certain, Mr. Allen?” Vanessa wants to be sure that Barry is ready to be officially fostered by Harrison Wells. It's only been a month after her last inquiry that was met with mixed results. Truth be told she hadn't expected such a confident answer so soon. 

“Yes,” Barry says without an ounce of hesitation. It’s now or never. 

And so in the time it takes Barry to pack up his things, one day shy of two weeks, the Wells home is primed and ready to receive a new member of the family. 

There's a notable energy in the house, not just from Cisco frantically traversing through the halls on his heelys. It's like turning on a light that takes a moment to actually illuminate. From the moment of Barry's introduction their lives have been getting brighter. Even with the tragedy that follows all of them life seems to be headed toward the brighter side.

Nervous excitement is replaced by exhilaration as Barry is ushered inside the house carrying his first box of personal items labeled  _ Science Stuff #1 of 3  _ in thick permanent marker which Harrison finds incredibly amusing. Self restraint is the only thing that keeps him from yanking Barry into the house just to get him through the door faster.  The same can't be said for Cisco who surges forward and pulls Barry into the foyer with such glee that even Caitlin can't help but join in by hugging both of the younger children.

Bittersweet is the word of the hour for Joe and Iris West, though Joe feels it the hardest. Barry is an easy kid to love, even at his worst behaved. Therefore it's understandable that no one would want to give him up. And of course intellectually Joe knows that this is the best thing for Barry, but he can't stop feeling as if he's giving his own son away. To a man better suited to care for him, but giving him away all the same.

The boxes in Joe's arms become a lot harder to hold as the weight in heart gets worse the more he thinks about why he's standing Dr. Wells’ doorway.

“Where can we put these down?”

“Cisco,” Harrison says with a light smile. “I suppose you'd like to be the one to show Barry to his room?” 

The two are off before anyone can blink. Harrison laughs and looks at Joe with that genuine smile that makes Joe want to punch a wall in frustration. “Follow me, Detective West.”

“When are you going to start calling me Joe, Dr. Wells?”

Never is what Harrison wants to say but doesn't because he's polite. 

“The moment you stop calling me Dr. Wells like it's the most arduous name you've ever had to say.” 

Mostly polite.

“Okay then,” Caitlin cuts in her pitch a bit higher than standard. “Let's head to Barry's room!”

Two weeks worth of packing fits into the room in just under four hours. Not everything is unpacked but the essentials are good enough for now. 

It's almost surreal for Barry, the thought that after today he won't be going home with Joe and Iris. The paperwork is all filled out and his personal belongings are in this room. Being with Dr. Wells and his kids ishome now. And maybe it should worry him that he isn't too nervous about the situation. But there's a sense of comfort and belonging here that he's been missing in his life for some time now. Of course he's got mixed feelings about the arrangement because for so long Joe has been the only adult that has cared about him since that night a year ago. But now he's got Dr. Wells and the change makes him feel better than he has in months. It's bittersweet. The loss of his parents still hurts and probably always will but it's nice to know he has people there for him. People that he can call family. That are willing to welcome him into their home and call him family. 

Barry takes a moment to think back on the events leading up to now. He looks at the lab coat that is way too big for him hanging in his new closet and smiles. Starling City might be a great place to visit but it certainly isn't home. Central City though, it's starting to feel like home again. 

There's ambient chatter throughout the room, comfortable and relaxing. Cisco is showing Joe just how many secret compartments the room has and Iris is telling Harrison everything anyone will ever need to know about her best friend just to make sure he's prepared for when they leave. 

“Are you ready for dinner, Barry?” Caitlin asks with a smile pulling Barry from his thoughts.

Their first dinner together as a family with Joe and Iris there to help ease the transition. Cisco already told him that he and Caitlin had made a cake to celebrate, if a little prematurely since his official adoption isn't for another six months but he's definitely not going to say no to cake. But the question still stands. 

Is he ready for dinner? And all that it implies?

Barry smiles at Caitlin and gives his answer. “Yes I am.”


End file.
